Rockapella
Encyclopedia
Rockapella is an American a cappella
musical group formed in 1986 in New York City. Their name is derived from the words "rock" and "a cappella
". They sing original vocal music and a cappella covers of pop and rock songs; over time, their sound has evolved from high-energy pop and world music
toward a more R&B-style sound. The band originally found their biggest success in Japan, while in North America, they are best known for their participation in the PBS Kids
game show Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego?
as the show's vocal house band and resident comedy troupe, as well as the singers of the show's theme song. The band has released 17 albums, both in North America and overseas, and 3 compilation albums in Japan. The text "All sounds provided by the voices and appendages of Rockapella", the central idea of the band, has appeared on all of their CDs since the addition of their vocal percussion
ist.
alumni Sean Altman, Elliott Kerman, Steve Keyes, and David Stix. They had each been in an a cappella group at Brown called High Jinks, but not all at the same time. Altman, having been in High Jinks the longest, was the only connection between the other three; when they found each other in New York City after graduation, they realized it was meant to be and formed Rockapella. They began performing humbly on New York City street corners with a hat at their feet and a song repertoire that consisted of a mix of barbershop arrangements and a cappella renditions of classic doo wop pieces that evolved to focus less on oldies and barbershop and more on contemporary rock music. Passers-by began to drop business cards into the hat, and these street corner performances led to private party and club performances around NYC.
Stix left the group in 1987 to pursue his artistic career and was replaced by Charlie Evett. That same year, a dinner party performance for television personality Kathie Lee Gifford
led to Rockapella's 1988 appearance on the WABC-TV show The Morning Show, Regis Philbin
and Gifford's NYC morning talk show before it went national. Their performance of Altman's signature arrangement of the calypso novelty standard "Zombie Jamboree
" caught the eye of producer Gerard Brown. He invited Rockapella to perform on the PBS "Great Performances" TV special Spike Lee
& Company – Do It A Cappella, which would put them into the national spotlight. However, Evett left the group to continue a career in software design in late 1988 before the special's taping (1989); Barry Carl
was hired to take his place.
digi-rock band. Between Leonard joining the band and the start of their television break, Rockapella began to pick up fame, starring in a Whoopi Goldberg HBO special "Chez Whoopi", a Taco Bell commercial, and opened for acts such as Chuck Berry
, Styx
, Billy Joel
, and their a cappella idols The Persuasions
, who the group had met on the Do It A Cappella special. They also performed on Jay Leno
's first New Year's Eve episode of The Tonight Show in 1992.
Rockapella first appeared on the half-hour game show in September 1991 and continued to appear daily for five years and 295 episodes, catapulting the four members (five during its fifth season) into mid-level television celebrity status and making the Rockapella-performed theme song (penned by Altman and his childhood friend David Yazbek
) one of the best known television themes in history. Jeff Thacher
joined Rockapella as permanent vocal percussionist in 1993, although he only appeared on Carmen Sandiego during its fifth and final season. While Rockapella was seen daily in homes across America, Leonard used his connections to the Japanese music market to acquire a recording contract with ForLife Records. The group released 7 albums of original and cover material under this label in Japan during their run on Carmen Sandiego and for two years after that, being the first to bring contemporary a cappella music to Japan.
brought Rockapella to be known as the front-runners of modern day a cappella. In 2002, Carl hung up his pipes as bassist and was replaced by George Baldi III
. In 2003, the group started their now annual "A Rockapella Holiday" tour, and in 2004 they released a live album
, as well as re-released all of their previous North American albums on the independent label Shakariki Records. That same year, Kerman, the group's baritone and the last remaining founding member of the group, decided to leave Rockapella and was replaced by John K. Brown, a second tenor. This membership change initiated the era of, as the group refers to it, "The New Rockapella", in which the group has added more choreography and energy to their concert performances. From 2005 to 2009, Rockapella focused on touring both domestically and around the world, continuing their popularity in North America and Japan while also boosting their newfound popularity in europe and Asia in countries such as Germany, Switzerland, Singapore
, and South Korea
. Rockapella began joining the Boston Pops on stage in the eastern US in 2006, creating a concert experience that shows both the orchestra's and Rockapella's talents separately and together in a manner never done before: a cappella with instrumentation. In August 2009, Wright announced he would be leaving the group at the end of the year to spend more time with his family; his last performance with the band was on December 22 of that same year, and was replaced by Steven Dorian
.
In August 2010, the group announced their first ever concert cruise through Galaxsea Travel aboard Carnival Cruise Lines
' Glory
. It took place on January 23–30, 2011 and included private concerts and a meet and greet cocktail party with Rockapella. On September 21, 2010, after much fan anticipation and build up by the group since January, the band released Bang
, their first full scale studio album since 2002, in digital format via iTunes
, Amazon.com
, and their website; physical CDs became available on October 21. On December 17, PAID Inc., the group's brand management and marketing resource, announced a partnership with Fairwood Studios that resulted in Rockapella becoming the first a cappella band to be featured in the Rock Band Network
. The project to make "Bang", the title track off their newest album, the first track in Rock Band to feature full, four-instrument gameplay based on no live or synthesized instruments began in the summer of 2010, and was released for purchase on January 30, 2011 through the RBN for 160 Microsoft Points
($1.99). As shown by an accompanying video released through YouTube on Fairwood Studios' channel, the vocal player sings along with Leonard's lead, the guitarist strums to Brown and Dorian's backup vocals, the bass guitar player follows Baldi's bass vocals, and the player on the drums uses Thacher's vocal percussion as their notes.Full length video of "Bang" gameplay on expert autoplay. Youtube.com (January 31, 2011). Retrieved on October 17, 2011. At the beginning of 2011, the band's cover of "It's A Small World" from their album Comfort & Joy
, was featured in a TV commercial for the animated film Gnomeo and Juliet
. Along with their usual holiday shows, Rockapella will join the Boston Pops in November and December 2011 on their Christmas tour, a first for the band. In an interview with Leonard during the group's 2010 holiday tour, it was revealed that Rockapella's next planned album will focus on new and newly arranged Christmas songs and will be released in 2011. On November 16, 2011, Rockapella posted a picture on their official Facebook account announcing the cover art and track list for their new holiday album A Rockapella Holiday
and that it would be available on iTunes
the next day, with physical copies available by the end of the month.
, in 2004 and has pursued various musical and voice-over opportunies, as well as enjoying his semi-retirement. Kerman and Carl have joined The GrooveBarbers on stage on more than one occasion, and since 2008 have reunited with Altman and Keyes on three occasions, billing themselves as XRP. This regrouping of the 1988–1991 line up of Rockapella was originally scheduled to occur only twice: once as a practice gig on July 26, 2008, and a second time at the 2008 A Cappellastock in Ogden, Utah on August 23. However, XRP got together for a third show on April 17, 2009 and sang a song written by Carl and Altman on the Schoolhouse Rock!: Earth Rock soundtrack called "You Oughta Be Savin' Water".
A cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
musical group formed in 1986 in New York City. Their name is derived from the words "rock" and "a cappella
A cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
". They sing original vocal music and a cappella covers of pop and rock songs; over time, their sound has evolved from high-energy pop and world music
World music
World music is a term with widely varying definitions, often encompassing music which is primarily identified as another genre. This is evidenced by world music definitions such as "all of the music in the world" or "somebody else's local music"...
toward a more R&B-style sound. The band originally found their biggest success in Japan, while in North America, they are best known for their participation in the PBS Kids
PBS Kids
PBS Kids is the brand for children's programming aired by the Public Broadcasting Service in the United States founded in 1993. As with all PBS programming, PBS Kids programming is non-commercial. It is aimed at children ages 2 to 10...
game show Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego?
Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? (TV series)
-Original music and theme song:All of the music on the series was vocal music, arranged and performed by the a capella group, Rockapella. The music package included a popular theme song, and many short signature stings, such as "Let's Get Packing" when the contestant won the grand prize...
as the show's vocal house band and resident comedy troupe, as well as the singers of the show's theme song. The band has released 17 albums, both in North America and overseas, and 3 compilation albums in Japan. The text "All sounds provided by the voices and appendages of Rockapella", the central idea of the band, has appeared on all of their CDs since the addition of their vocal percussion
Vocal percussion
Vocal percussion is the art of creating sounds with one's mouth that approximate, imitate, or otherwise serve the same purpose as a percussion instrument, whether in a group of singers, an instrumental ensemble, or solo.-In Western music:...
ist.
Early years (1986–1991)
The founding band members consisted of Brown UniversityBrown University
Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
alumni Sean Altman, Elliott Kerman, Steve Keyes, and David Stix. They had each been in an a cappella group at Brown called High Jinks, but not all at the same time. Altman, having been in High Jinks the longest, was the only connection between the other three; when they found each other in New York City after graduation, they realized it was meant to be and formed Rockapella. They began performing humbly on New York City street corners with a hat at their feet and a song repertoire that consisted of a mix of barbershop arrangements and a cappella renditions of classic doo wop pieces that evolved to focus less on oldies and barbershop and more on contemporary rock music. Passers-by began to drop business cards into the hat, and these street corner performances led to private party and club performances around NYC.
Stix left the group in 1987 to pursue his artistic career and was replaced by Charlie Evett. That same year, a dinner party performance for television personality Kathie Lee Gifford
Kathie Lee Gifford
Kathie Lee Gifford is an American television host, singer, songwriter and actress, best known for her 15-year run on the talk show Live with Regis and Kathie Lee, which she co-hosted with Regis Philbin...
led to Rockapella's 1988 appearance on the WABC-TV show The Morning Show, Regis Philbin
Regis Philbin
Regis Francis Xavier Philbin is an American media personality, actor and singer, known for hosting talk and game shows since the 1960s. Philbin is often called "the hardest working man in show business" and holds the Guinness World Record for the most time spent in front of a television camera...
and Gifford's NYC morning talk show before it went national. Their performance of Altman's signature arrangement of the calypso novelty standard "Zombie Jamboree
Jumbie Jamberee
Jumbie Jamberee is a calypso song credited to Conrad Eugene Mauge Jr. In 1953 Lord Intruder released the song as the B-side to Disaster With Police. The song is also known as Zombie Jamboree and Back to Back...
" caught the eye of producer Gerard Brown. He invited Rockapella to perform on the PBS "Great Performances" TV special Spike Lee
Spike Lee
Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee is an American film director, producer, writer, and actor. His production company, 40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks, has produced over 35 films since 1983....
& Company – Do It A Cappella, which would put them into the national spotlight. However, Evett left the group to continue a career in software design in late 1988 before the special's taping (1989); Barry Carl
Barry Carl
Barry Strauss Carl is an American musician and voice-over actor best known as the bassist of the a cappella band Rockapella while the group was house band on the PBS children's geography game show Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? . He was a member of Rockapella from 1988 until he left the...
was hired to take his place.
Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? (1991–1997)
With a PBS special and numerous morning talk show appearances under their collective belt, Rockapella was noticed by the producers of an up-and-coming PBS Kids geography game show Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego?. By this point, Keyes had decided to leave the band to launch his legal career, but was still part of Rockapella when they auditioned and were hired to write and perform the theme song for the show as well as appear as the comic relief house band. Keyes officially graduated from the group in April 1991 and was replaced by Scott Leonard, who had just returned from a career as the lead singer in a Tokyo DisneylandTokyo Disneyland
is a 115 acre theme park at the Tokyo Disney Resort located in Urayasu, Chiba, Japan, near Tokyo. Its main gate is directly adjacent to both Maihama Station and Tokyo Disneyland Station. It was the first Disney park to be built outside of the United States and opened on April 15, 1983...
digi-rock band. Between Leonard joining the band and the start of their television break, Rockapella began to pick up fame, starring in a Whoopi Goldberg HBO special "Chez Whoopi", a Taco Bell commercial, and opened for acts such as Chuck Berry
Chuck Berry
Charles Edward Anderson "Chuck" Berry is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter, and one of the pioneers of rock and roll music. With songs such as "Maybellene" , "Roll Over Beethoven" , "Rock and Roll Music" and "Johnny B...
, Styx
Styx (band)
Styx is an American rock band that became famous for its albums from the late 1970s and early 1980s. The Chicago band is known for melding the style of prog-rock with the power of hard rock guitar, strong ballads, and elements of American musical theater....
, Billy Joel
Billy Joel
William Martin "Billy" Joel is an American musician and pianist, singer-songwriter, and classical composer. Since releasing his first hit song, "Piano Man", in 1973, Joel has become the sixth best-selling recording artist and the third best-selling solo artist in the United States, according to...
, and their a cappella idols The Persuasions
The Persuasions
The Persuasions are an a cappella group that began singing together in Brooklyn, New York in the mid 1960s. They have performed interpretations of both secular and non-secular music, and have covered a wide range of musical genres....
, who the group had met on the Do It A Cappella special. They also performed on Jay Leno
Jay Leno
James Douglas Muir "Jay" Leno is an American stand-up comedian and television host.From 1992 to 2009, Leno was the host of NBC's The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Beginning in September 2009, Leno started a primetime talk show, titled The Jay Leno Show, which aired weeknights at 10:00 p.m. ,...
's first New Year's Eve episode of The Tonight Show in 1992.
Rockapella first appeared on the half-hour game show in September 1991 and continued to appear daily for five years and 295 episodes, catapulting the four members (five during its fifth season) into mid-level television celebrity status and making the Rockapella-performed theme song (penned by Altman and his childhood friend David Yazbek
David Yazbek
David Yazbek is an American writer, musician, composer, and lyricist. He wrote the music and lyrics for the Broadway musicals The Full Monty , Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown ....
) one of the best known television themes in history. Jeff Thacher
Jeff Thacher
Jeffrey Thomas Thacher is an American musician, best known as a member of the vocal group Rockapella. A professional vocal percussionist and singer who emerged on the early contemporary a cappella scene in 1991, Jeff Thacher co-founded the Boston-based a cappella group...
joined Rockapella as permanent vocal percussionist in 1993, although he only appeared on Carmen Sandiego during its fifth and final season. While Rockapella was seen daily in homes across America, Leonard used his connections to the Japanese music market to acquire a recording contract with ForLife Records. The group released 7 albums of original and cover material under this label in Japan during their run on Carmen Sandiego and for two years after that, being the first to bring contemporary a cappella music to Japan.
Post-Carmen Sandiego years (1997–present)
Following the end of Carmen Sandiego in 1996, Altman left Rockapella to pursue his solo career the following year, and was replaced by Kevin Wright; it was this line-up that would find itself gaining a boost in popularity in the late 1990s and the early 2000s. An American record label, two Folger's coffee commercials that ran from 1998–1999 and 1999–2001, respectively, and another PBS special of their December 9, 2000 concertIn Concert (Rockapella album)
In Concert is the twelfth overall, seventh North American album, and first live concert album by the a cappella group Rockapella. It was recorded live on December 9, 2000 at The Lobero Theater in Santa Barbara, CA. A corresponding DVD was also filmed as part of a PBS Special...
brought Rockapella to be known as the front-runners of modern day a cappella. In 2002, Carl hung up his pipes as bassist and was replaced by George Baldi III
George Baldi III
George William Baldi III is an American singer best known as the bass singer of the a cappella singing group Rockapella since 2002.-Early life:Baldi grew up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
. In 2003, the group started their now annual "A Rockapella Holiday" tour, and in 2004 they released a live album
Live in Japan (Rockapella album)
Live In Japan is the fifteenth overall, tenth North American, and second live concert album by the a cappella group Rockapella. It was recorded during the group's "Wa" Tour in June 2–12, 2003 and was released a year later...
, as well as re-released all of their previous North American albums on the independent label Shakariki Records. That same year, Kerman, the group's baritone and the last remaining founding member of the group, decided to leave Rockapella and was replaced by John K. Brown, a second tenor. This membership change initiated the era of, as the group refers to it, "The New Rockapella", in which the group has added more choreography and energy to their concert performances. From 2005 to 2009, Rockapella focused on touring both domestically and around the world, continuing their popularity in North America and Japan while also boosting their newfound popularity in europe and Asia in countries such as Germany, Switzerland, Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, and South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
. Rockapella began joining the Boston Pops on stage in the eastern US in 2006, creating a concert experience that shows both the orchestra's and Rockapella's talents separately and together in a manner never done before: a cappella with instrumentation. In August 2009, Wright announced he would be leaving the group at the end of the year to spend more time with his family; his last performance with the band was on December 22 of that same year, and was replaced by Steven Dorian
Steven Dorian
Steven Dorian is an American singer best known as a tenor in the a cappella group Rockapella since January 2010.-Early life:...
.
In August 2010, the group announced their first ever concert cruise through Galaxsea Travel aboard Carnival Cruise Lines
Carnival Cruise Lines
Carnival Cruise Lines is a British-American owned cruise line, based in Doral, Florida, a suburb of Miami in the United States. Originally an independent company founded in 1972 by Ted Arison, the company is now one of eleven cruise ship brands owned and operated by Carnival Corporation & plc...
' Glory
Carnival Glory
Carnival Glory is a Conquest-class cruise ship that was built by Fincantieri in Monfalcone, Italy. She is owned by Carnival Corporation & plc and operated by Carnival Cruise Lines.- Characteristics :...
. It took place on January 23–30, 2011 and included private concerts and a meet and greet cocktail party with Rockapella. On September 21, 2010, after much fan anticipation and build up by the group since January, the band released Bang
Bang (Rockapella album)
Bang is the sixteenth overall and eleventh North American album by the a cappella group Rockapella. It is the first studio album the group has released since 2002. It also marks band members John K. Brown's and Steven Dorian's first recording appearance with Rockapella, having been with the group...
, their first full scale studio album since 2002, in digital format via iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
, Amazon.com
Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
, and their website; physical CDs became available on October 21. On December 17, PAID Inc., the group's brand management and marketing resource, announced a partnership with Fairwood Studios that resulted in Rockapella becoming the first a cappella band to be featured in the Rock Band Network
Rock Band Network
The Rock Band Network is a downloadable content service designed by Harmonix Music Systems with the help of Microsoft to allow musical artists and record labels to make their music available as playable tracks for the Rock Band series of rhythm video games, starting with Rock Band 2...
. The project to make "Bang", the title track off their newest album, the first track in Rock Band to feature full, four-instrument gameplay based on no live or synthesized instruments began in the summer of 2010, and was released for purchase on January 30, 2011 through the RBN for 160 Microsoft Points
Microsoft Points
Microsoft Points are the currency of the Xbox Live Marketplace, Games for Windows - Live Marketplace, Windows Live Gallery, and Zune online stores. The points allow users to purchase content without a credit card and to reduce the number of small credit card transaction fees, which Microsoft would...
($1.99). As shown by an accompanying video released through YouTube on Fairwood Studios' channel, the vocal player sings along with Leonard's lead, the guitarist strums to Brown and Dorian's backup vocals, the bass guitar player follows Baldi's bass vocals, and the player on the drums uses Thacher's vocal percussion as their notes.Full length video of "Bang" gameplay on expert autoplay. Youtube.com (January 31, 2011). Retrieved on October 17, 2011. At the beginning of 2011, the band's cover of "It's A Small World" from their album Comfort & Joy
Comfort & Joy
Comfort & Joy is the fourteenth overall, ninth North American, and fourth holiday album by the a cappella group Rockapella. It was re-release in 2004 on Shakariki Records.-Track listing:-Personnel:*Scott Leonard – high tenor*Kevin Wright – tenor...
, was featured in a TV commercial for the animated film Gnomeo and Juliet
Gnomeo and Juliet
Gnomeo & Juliet is a 2011 computer-animated family comedy film based on William Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet. The film is directed by Kelly Asbury, and the two main characters are voiced by James McAvoy and Emily Blunt. The film was released on , 2011.-Plot:Mrs. Montague and Mr. Capulet are...
. Along with their usual holiday shows, Rockapella will join the Boston Pops in November and December 2011 on their Christmas tour, a first for the band. In an interview with Leonard during the group's 2010 holiday tour, it was revealed that Rockapella's next planned album will focus on new and newly arranged Christmas songs and will be released in 2011. On November 16, 2011, Rockapella posted a picture on their official Facebook account announcing the cover art and track list for their new holiday album A Rockapella Holiday
A Rockapella Holiday
A Rockapella Holiday is the seventeenth overall, twelfth North American, and fifth holiday album released by the a cappella group Rockapella...
and that it would be available on iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
the next day, with physical copies available by the end of the month.
Life after Rockapella
Most of the former members of Rockapella have remained in the singing business since their departures. Altman, Keyes, Evett, and non-Rockapella-member baritone Kevin Weist now comprise an a cappella group called The GrooveBarbers. They were cast in a nationwide television ad for Astelin nasal spray as 'The Astelins'. They focus more on Altman's originals, barbershop arrangements, and a cappella doo wop than covers of pop songs. Altman has also released three solo albums and two Jewish comedy albums, one of which to go along with his solo comedy act Jewmongous. Kerman is working independently on jazz music compilations. Carl recorded a solo album, The SoLow ProjectThe SoLow Project
The SoLow Project is the solo album vocal bassist Barry Carl released after retiring from the a cappella group Rockapella. The album consists of 20 songs split into four sections: Seven Spirituals for Two Basses, a selection of Negro spirituals; Four Sea Chanties; Quatre Chansons de Don Quichotte,...
, in 2004 and has pursued various musical and voice-over opportunies, as well as enjoying his semi-retirement. Kerman and Carl have joined The GrooveBarbers on stage on more than one occasion, and since 2008 have reunited with Altman and Keyes on three occasions, billing themselves as XRP. This regrouping of the 1988–1991 line up of Rockapella was originally scheduled to occur only twice: once as a practice gig on July 26, 2008, and a second time at the 2008 A Cappellastock in Ogden, Utah on August 23. However, XRP got together for a third show on April 17, 2009 and sang a song written by Carl and Altman on the Schoolhouse Rock!: Earth Rock soundtrack called "You Oughta Be Savin' Water".
Membership history
| Year | Countertenor | Tenor | Baritone/ Second tenor |
Bass | Vocal percussion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Steve Keyes | Sean Altman | Elliott Kerman | David Stix | |
| 1987 | Charlie Evett | ||||
| 1988 | Barry Carl Barry Carl Barry Strauss Carl is an American musician and voice-over actor best known as the bassist of the a cappella band Rockapella while the group was house band on the PBS children's geography game show Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? . He was a member of Rockapella from 1988 until he left the... |
||||
| 1989 | |||||
| 1990 | |||||
| 1991 | Scott Leonard | ||||
| 1992 | |||||
| 1993 | Jeff Thacher Jeff Thacher Jeffrey Thomas Thacher is an American musician, best known as a member of the vocal group Rockapella. A professional vocal percussionist and singer who emerged on the early contemporary a cappella scene in 1991, Jeff Thacher co-founded the Boston-based a cappella group... |
||||
| 1994 | |||||
| 1995 | |||||
| 1996 | |||||
| 1997 | Kevin Wright | ||||
| 1998 | |||||
| 1999 | |||||
| 2000 | |||||
| 2001 | |||||
| 2002 | George Baldi III George Baldi III George William Baldi III is an American singer best known as the bass singer of the a cappella singing group Rockapella since 2002.-Early life:Baldi grew up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania... |
||||
| 2003 | |||||
| 2004 | John K. Brown | ||||
| 2005 | |||||
| 2006 | |||||
| 2007 | |||||
| 2008 | |||||
| 2009 | |||||
| 2010 | Steven Dorian Steven Dorian Steven Dorian is an American singer best known as a tenor in the a cappella group Rockapella since January 2010.-Early life:... |
||||
| 2011 |
Temporary Members
- Kenny XKenny MuhammadKenny Muhammad is an American beatboxer occasionally referred to as The Human Orchestra, a moniker he affirmed by performing David Eaton's composition....
– Vocal percussion (1992 touring) - David YazbekDavid YazbekDavid Yazbek is an American writer, musician, composer, and lyricist. He wrote the music and lyrics for the Broadway musicals The Full Monty , Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown ....
– Vocal percussion (1992) (on Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego soundtrack)
Domestic Releases
| Release Date | Album | Line-up | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| November 2011 | A Rockapella Holiday A Rockapella Holiday A Rockapella Holiday is the seventeenth overall, twelfth North American, and fifth holiday album released by the a cappella group Rockapella... |
Leonard, Dorian, Brown, Baldi, Thacher | Shakariki Records / PAID, Inc. |
| September 2010 | Bang Bang (Rockapella album) Bang is the sixteenth overall and eleventh North American album by the a cappella group Rockapella. It is the first studio album the group has released since 2002. It also marks band members John K. Brown's and Steven Dorian's first recording appearance with Rockapella, having been with the group... |
Leonard, Dorian, Brown, Baldi, Thacher | Shakariki Records / PAID, Inc. |
| June 2004 | Live In Japan Live in Japan (Rockapella album) Live In Japan is the fifteenth overall, tenth North American, and second live concert album by the a cappella group Rockapella. It was recorded during the group's "Wa" Tour in June 2–12, 2003 and was released a year later... |
Leonard, Wright, Kerman, Baldi, Thacher | Shakariki Records |
| November 2002 | Comfort & Joy Comfort & Joy Comfort & Joy is the fourteenth overall, ninth North American, and fourth holiday album by the a cappella group Rockapella. It was re-release in 2004 on Shakariki Records.-Track listing:-Personnel:*Scott Leonard – high tenor*Kevin Wright – tenor... |
Leonard, Wright, Kerman, Baldi, Thacher | Amerigo Records Re-released on Shakariki Records in 2004 |
| August 2002 | Smilin' Smilin' Smilin' is the thirteenth overall and eighth North American album by the a cappella group Rockapella. It is legendary bass Barry Carl's last album as a member of the group and the first appearance of Carl's successor, George Baldi III... |
Leonard, Wright, Kerman, Carl, Baldi, Thacher | Amerigo Records Re-released on Shakariki Records in 2004 |
| March 2001 | In Concert In Concert (Rockapella album) In Concert is the twelfth overall, seventh North American album, and first live concert album by the a cappella group Rockapella. It was recorded live on December 9, 2000 at The Lobero Theater in Santa Barbara, CA. A corresponding DVD was also filmed as part of a PBS Special... |
Leonard, Wright, Kerman, Carl, Thacher | J-Bird Records Re-released on Shakariki Records in 2004 |
| October 2000 | Christmas Christmas (Rockapella album) Christmas is the eleventh overall, sixth North American, and third holiday album released by the a cappella group Rockapella. It was re-released on Shakariki Records in 2004... |
Leonard, Wright, Kerman, Carl, Thacher | J-Bird Records Re-released on Shakariki Records in 2004 |
| March 2000 | 2 2 (Rockapella album) 2 is the tenth overall and fifth North American studio album by the a cappella group Rockapella. As the name suggests, it was the group's second CD released through a record company in the United States. It was recorded during the fall of 1999 and released in the spring of 2000... |
Leonard, Wright, Kerman, Carl, Thacher | J-Bird Records Re-released on Shakariki Records in 2004 |
| February 1999 | Don't Tell Me You Do Don't Tell Me You Do Don't Tell Me You Do is the ninth overall and fourth North American studio album by the a cappella group Rockapella. It is the first album released by the group on a North American record label. All but two of the tracks were recorded during the fall of 1997 and originally released on the... |
Leonard, Wright, Kerman, Carl, Thacher | J-Bird Records Re-released on Shakariki Records in 2004 |
| Mid-1997 | Rockapella Rockapella (album) Rockapella is the eighth overall and third North American studio album by the a cappella group Rockapella. It contains mostly very-updated versions of previously recorded material following a membership change... |
Leonard, Wright, Kerman, Carl, Thacher | Independent |
| Mid-1996 | Lucky Seven Lucky Seven (album) Lucky Seven is the second and sixth studio album released in North America and Japan, respectively, by the a cappella group Rockapella. As the name suggests, it is the seventh overall studio album by the group... |
Leonard, Altman, Kerman, Carl, Thacher | Independent |
| Mid-1995 | Primer Primer (album) Primer is the sixth studio album by the a cappella group Rockapella and marks their North American debut. Its track list was intended to represent the band's live show at the time and was recorded 99% live-in-studio over the course of two days at Sonalyst Studios in Connecticut, with the exception... |
Leonard, Altman, Kerman, Carl, Thacher | Independent |
International Releases
| Release Date | Album | Line-up | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | In Concert In Concert (Rockapella album) In Concert is the twelfth overall, seventh North American album, and first live concert album by the a cappella group Rockapella. It was recorded live on December 9, 2000 at The Lobero Theater in Santa Barbara, CA. A corresponding DVD was also filmed as part of a PBS Special... |
Leonard, Wright, Kerman, Carl, Thacher | Rentrak Records |
| November 2001 | Christmas Christmas (Rockapella album) Christmas is the eleventh overall, sixth North American, and third holiday album released by the a cappella group Rockapella. It was re-released on Shakariki Records in 2004... |
Leonard, Wright, Kerman, Carl, Thacher | Rentrak Records |
| November 1996 | Lucky Seven: Memories And Dreams Lucky Seven (album) Lucky Seven is the second and sixth studio album released in North America and Japan, respectively, by the a cappella group Rockapella. As the name suggests, it is the seventh overall studio album by the group... |
Leonard, Altman, Kerman, Carl, Thacher | ForLife Records |
| November 1995 | Best Fest Best Fest Best Fest is a compilation album by the a cappella group Rockapella. It is first of three Japan-only compilation albums of the group's recordings, featuring a mix of tracks from previous Japanese albums, as well as two new songs that were not previously available... |
Leonard, Altman, Kerman, Carl, Thacher | ForLife Records |
| November 1994 | Out Cold Out Cold (album) Out Cold is the fifth studio and second holiday album by the a cappella group Rockapella. ForLife Records wanted the group to do a second Christmas album, but settled for a mixture of Christmas and non-holiday music... |
Leonard, Altman, Kerman, Carl, Thacher | ForLife Records |
| April 1994 | Vocobeat Vocobeat Vocobeat is the fourth studio album by the a cappella group Rockapella. It is their first all original album and marks the first full-time CD debut of Jeff Thacher as vocal percussionist... |
Leonard, Altman, Kerman, Carl, Thacher | ForLife Records |
| December 1992 | Bash! Bash! Bash! is the third studio album and the first holiday album from the a cappella group Rockapella.-Track listing:-Personnel:*Scott Leonard – high tenor*Sean Altman – tenor*Elliott Kerman – baritone*Barry Carl – bass... |
Leonard, Altman, Kerman, Carl | ForLife Records |
| May 1992 | From N.Y. From N.Y. From N.Y. is the second studio album from the a cappella group Rockapella. The album was a mixture of original material and covers of U.S. pop tunes.-Track listing:-Personnel:*Scott Leonard – high tenor*Sean Altman – tenor*Elliott Kerman – baritone... |
Leonard, Altman, Kerman, Carl | ForLife Records |
| May 1992 | To N.Y. To N.Y. To N.Y. is the first studio album from the a cappella group Rockapella. The album featured covers of Japanese pop songs sung in English.-Track listing:-Personnel:*Scott Leonard – high tenor*Sean Altman – tenor*Elliott Kerman – baritone... |
Leonard, Altman, Kerman, Carl | ForLife Records |
Compilations
| Release Date | Album | Line-up | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| September 2002 | Best A Cappella Best A Cappella Best A Cappella is the third Japan-only compilation album of songs by the a cappella group Rockapella. When the group changed their Japanese record label to Rentrack Records and released two of their American albums and an additional compilation album in Japan, ForLife Records sought to capitalize... |
Leonard, Altman, Kerman, Carl, Thacher | ForLife Records |
| 2002 | More Than Ever More Than Ever (album) More Than Ever is the second Japan-only compilation album by the a cappella group Rockapella. It contains recording from the US albums Don't Tell Me You Do and 2 with a new photo session of the group.-Track listing:-Personnel:... |
Leonard, Wright, Kerman, Carl, Thacher | Rentrak Records |
Unaffiliated Releases
| Release Date | Album | Line-up | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| Summer 2005 | Live At Duo Music Exchange | Leonard, Wright, Kerman, Baldi, Thacher | Duo Records |
Various Releases
| Year | Album | Line-up | Song |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Hokie Nation: An A Cappella Tribute | Leonard, Wright, Kerman, Carl, Thacher | "I'll Hear Your Voice" |
| 2002 | 20 Christmas Stars, Vol. IV | Leonard, Wright, Kerman, Baldi, Thacher | "Merry Christmas Darling" |
| 2000 | Mark and Brian: Little Drummer Boys | Leonard, Wright, Kerman, Carl, Thacher | Silver Bells" (Live performance) |
| 2000 | A Cappella Christmas Party | Leonard, Altman, Kerman, Carl | "Hold Out For Christmas" |
| 1999 | Revival – Sam Harris Sam Harris (singer) Sam Harris is an American pop and musical theatre recording artist as well as a television, stage and film actor.-Singing:... |
Leonard, Wright, Kerman, Carl, Thacher | "A Change In My Life" (Background vocals) |
| 1996 | Voices Only: A Cappella Originals | Leonard, Altman, Kerman, Carl, Thacher | "Bed Of Nails" |
| 1993 | Carmen Sandiego: Out of This World | Leonard, Altman, Kerman, Carl, Thacher | "Big Wet Rag" |
| 1993 | Put On Your Green Shoes | Leonard, Altman, Kerman, Carl | "Light Of The Sun" w/Richie Havens |
| 1993 | Muppet Beach Party | Leonard, Altman, Kerman, Carl | "PapaOomMowMow" |
| 1992 | Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? (album) Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? is the soundtrack to the popular educational children's TV game show of the same name that ran from 1991 to 1996... |
Leonard, Altman, Kerman, Carl, Yazbek | "Capital" "Everything To Me" "My Home" "Let's Get Away From It All" "Indiana" "Where In The World Is Carmen Sandiego?" |
| 1992 | Modern A Cappella | Leonard, Altman, Kerman, Carl | "Zombie Jamboree" |
| 1991 | Zappa's Universe | Leonard, Altman, Kerman, Carl | "Elvis Has Left The Building" "Heavenly Bank Account" |
| 1990 | Spike Lee & Company: Do It A Cappella | Keyes, Altman, Kerman, Carl | "Zombie Jamboree" "Under The Boardwalk" (with True Image) |
Solo/Other CDs
| Release Date | Album | Artist |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | SeanDEMOnium | Sean Altman |
| March 2002 | Alt.mania | Sean Altman |
| June 2005 | Losing Streak | Sean Altman |
| 2006 | Unorthodox | Sean Altman (What I Like About Jew) |
| 2008 | Taller Than Jesus | Sean Altman (JEWMONGOUS) |
| 2005 | Glory | The GrooveBarbers |
| March 2010 | Guts | The GrooveBarbers |
| July 2004 | The SoLow Project The SoLow Project The SoLow Project is the solo album vocal bassist Barry Carl released after retiring from the a cappella group Rockapella. The album consists of 20 songs split into four sections: Seven Spirituals for Two Basses, a selection of Negro spirituals; Four Sea Chanties; Quatre Chansons de Don Quichotte,... |
Barry Carl |
| 1996 | My Favorites: The Bee Gees | Scott Leonard |
| February 1999 | Bluespeel | Scott Leonard (Flying Faders) |
| 2002 | Nice Kitty | Scott Leonard (fi-Ling Fader) |
| May 2007 | 1man1mike | Scott Leonard |
| March 2010 | Tokyo Robots | Scott Leonard |
| January 2009 | Essence of Worship | John K. Brown |
| January 2009 | God Has A Hold On Me | John K. Brown |
| June 2010 | bOOmbOOm | John K. Brown |
| June 2011 | Unplugged | John K. Brown |
Songs in Commercials
- Gnomeo and JulietGnomeo and JulietGnomeo & Juliet is a 2011 computer-animated family comedy film based on William Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet. The film is directed by Kelly Asbury, and the two main characters are voiced by James McAvoy and Emily Blunt. The film was released on , 2011.-Plot:Mrs. Montague and Mr. Capulet are...
- feature film trailer - FolgersFolgersFolgers Coffee is a major brand of coffee in the United States, part of the food and beverage division of The J.M. Smucker Co.-Company history:...
coffee - NBCNBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
The Today Show promos for the earliest version of the program's "Where in the World is Matt LauerMatt LauerMatthew Todd "Matt" Lauer . is an American television journalist best known as the host of NBC's The Today Show since 1997. He was previously a news anchor in New York and a local talk-show host in Boston, Philadelphia, Providence and Richmond...
?" segment. The song was re-recorded later in different styles by other musicians. - MoundsMounds (candy)Mounds is a candy bar made by Hershey's, and is the sister product of Almond Joy. Like Almond Joy, it consists of a coconut based center; however, it is enrobed with dark chocolate rather than milk chocolate and does not contain almonds....
/Almond JoyAlmond JoyAn Almond Joy is a candy bar manufactured by Hershey's. It consists of a coconut-based center topped with two almonds and enrobed in a layer of milk chocolate... - DoritosDoritosDoritos is a brand of seasoned tortilla chips created by Arch West and produced since 1964 by the American food company Frito-Lay ....
- Mazola
- Kent Super Lights - Japan-only
- Showtime - (Became "We Got A Happy Holiday" song from Japan-only album "Bash")
- HBO
- Taco BellTaco BellTaco Bell is an American chain of fast-food restaurants based in Irvine, California. A subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc., which serves American-adapted Mexican food. Taco Bell serves tacos, burritos, quesadillas, nachos, other specialty items, and a variety of "Value Menu" items...
- BacardiBacardiBacardi is a family-controlled spirits company, best known as a producer of rums, including Bacardi Superior and Bacardi 151. The company sells in excess of 200 million bottles per year in nearly 100 countries...
- BudweiserBudweiser (Anheuser-Busch)Budweiser is a 5.0% abv American-style lager introduced in 1876 by Adolphus Busch and one of the highest selling beers in the United States. It is made with up to 30% rice in addition to hops and barley malt. Budweiser is produced in various breweries located around the world...
- AFLACAflacAflac Incorporated is the largest provider of supplemental insurance in the United States, founded in 1955 and based in Columbus, Georgia. In the United States, Aflac underwrites a wide range of insurance policies, but is perhaps more known for its payroll deduction insurance coverage, which pays...
insurance - ProScanProScanProscan is one of the American brand divisions of Thomson Consumer Electronics, with products competing with higher-end electronics. The ProScan name is owned by RCA. The company created television and video products to compete with Sony's Trinitron XBR, Pioneer's Elite, and other electronics brand...
televisions - Arby'sArby'sArby's is a fast food restaurant chain in the United States and Canada. Roark Capital Group owns 81.5% of the company, with Wendy's Company owning the other 18.5%. It is primarily known for selling roast beef sandwiches and curly fries. The Arby's menu also includes chicken sandwiches, appetizers,...
- Ozone Ford - Long Island, NY dealership (now defunct)
External links
- Official website
- Official Facebook account
- Scott Leonard's official website
- Sean Altman's official website
- Elliott Kerman's official website
- Barry Carl's official website
- John K. Brown's official website
- The Groovebarbers' official website
- JEWMONGOUS' official website
- PAID Inc.'s webiste
- Fairwood Studios' website